Exposure apparatus, method of forming patterned layer, method of forming patterned photoresist layer, active device array substrate and patterned layer

ABSTRACT

An exposure apparatus is provided and adapted for exposing a photoresist layer on a layer to form a plurality of strip exposed patterns. The exposure apparatus includes a light source, a lens group and a mask. The lens group is disposed between the photoresist layer and the light source and includes a plurality of strip lens parallel to each other, wherein an overlapping region between any two neighboring strip lens is defined as a lens connecting region, and the other regions excluding the lens connecting regions are defined as lens regions. The mask is disposed between the photoresist layer and the lens group and includes a plurality of shielding patterns, wherein an outline of the shielding patterns corresponds to the strip exposed patterns, each shielding pattern has a strip opening, and an extension direction of the strip openings is substantially parallel to an extension direction of the shielding patterns.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the priority benefit of Taiwan applicationserial no. 99107470, filed on Mar. 15, 2010. The entirety of theabove-mentioned patent application is hereby incorporated by referenceherein and made a part of this specification.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates generally to an exposure apparatus, and moreparticularly, to an exposure apparatus with favorable performance.

2. Description of Related Art

With the continuous advancement of the liquid crystal display (LCD)device towards to the large-size display standard, the market isgravitating towards LCDs having characteristics such as high contrastratio, rapid response, and wide viewing angle. Therefore, the wideviewing angle techniques of the liquid crystal display panel arecontinuously developed in order to enhance the viewing angle of thelarge-size display device. At the current stage, LCD panels employingthe multi-domain vertical alignment (MVA) technique are some of the mostcommon, for example, the MVA LCD panel and the polymer stabilizedalignment (PSA) LCD panel are popular.

Taking the PSA-LCD panel for example, the pixel electrodes in a PSA-LCDpanel include a plurality of strip patterns, and slits are used toseparate each set of strip patterns. The strip patterns can divide thepixel electrodes into four alignment regions (domains), for example,which are conducive to the liquid crystal molecules in the liquidcrystal layer tilting in different directions, thereby meeting a wideviewing angle requirement. However, in view of current technologies, aline width of each strip pattern and a spacing (e.g., a width of theslits) between two neighboring strip patterns are typically 5 μm and 3μm, respectively. When line width/spacing is 5 μm/3 μm, liquid crystalefficiency of the PSA-LCD panel is not good enough. Therefore, in orderto further enhance the liquid crystal efficiency of the PSA-LCD panel,the widths of the strip patterns and the slits need to be reduced.

Typically, a pitch of the strip patterns is mainly determined by thepatterned photoresist layer of the mask layer, and the pitch of thepatterned photoresist layer is determined by the design of the width andthe pattern of the shielding patterns of the mask. Moreover, since alens group of an exposure apparatus is formed by a plurality of striplenses arranged parallel to each other, an overlapping region is formedbetween any two neighboring strip lenses. Due to the inferior opticalcharacteristics of these overlapping regions, a light passing throughthe overlapping regions tends to be weak. In other words, under a sameexposure condition, the formation of the overlapping regions results inan insufficient exposure dosage for the photoresist material layercorresponding to the overlapping regions. Consequently, photoresistpatterns having large line widths and small spacings are formed.Therefore, although the strip patterns formed by using the photoresistpatterns as the mask have a same pitch (e.g., a sum of the line widthand spacing is the same), the strip patterns have different linewidth/spacing ratios, thereby causing an issue of bright and dark linesfor the display of the PSA-LCD panel, which is a phenomenon known as“lens mura”.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An aspect of the invention provides an exposure apparatus capable ofexposing a small pitch.

Another aspect of the invention provides a method of forming a patternedlayer and a patterned photoresist layer employing the aforesaid exposureapparatus for performing an exposure process, so as to form a patternhaving a small pitch.

Another aspect of the invention provides an active device arraysubstrate, in which patterns distributed in different regions havedifferent critical dimensions.

Another aspect of the invention provides a patterned layer, in whichpatterns distributed in different regions have different linewidth/spacing ratios. An aspect of the invention provides an exposureapparatus adapted for exposing a photoresist layer on a layer to form aplurality of strip exposed patterns on the photoresist layer, in whichthe exposure apparatus includes a light source, a lens group, and amask. The lens group is disposed between the photoresist layer and thelight source. The lens group includes a plurality of strip lensesarranged parallel to each other, in which an overlapping region betweenany two neighboring strip lenses is defined as a lens connecting region,and the other regions excluding the lens connecting regions are definedas a plurality of lens regions. The mask is disposed between thephotoresist layer and the lens group, in which the mask has a pluralityof shielding patterns, an outline of the shielding patterns correspondto the strip exposed patterns, each of the shielding patternsrespectively has a strip opening, and an extension direction of thestrip openings is substantially parallel to an extension direction ofthe shielding patterns.

Another aspect of the invention provides a method of forming a patternedlayer. A photoresist layer is formed on a layer. The layer with thephotoresist layer formed thereon is then disposed in the aforesaidexposure apparatus, for performing an exposure process on thephotoresist layer. Thereafter, a development process is performed on thephotoresist layer, so as to form a patterned photoresist layer on thelayer. The layer is then patterned by using the patterned photoresistlayer as a mask.

Another aspect of the invention provides a method of forming a patternedphotoresist layer. A photoresist layer is disposed in the aforesaidexposure apparatus, for performing an exposure process on thephotoresist layer. Thereafter, a development process is performed on thephotoresist layer, so as to form a patterned photoresist layer on thelayer.

An aspect of the invention provides an active device array substrate.The active device array substrate includes a plurality of first regionsand a plurality of second regions, in which a critical dimension of apatterned layer in the first regions is CD1, the second regions includea plurality of compensation regions distributed, a critical dimension ofthe patterned layer distributed in the compensation regions is CD2, acritical dimension of the patterned layer distributed inside the secondregion and outside of the compensation regions is CD3, and the criticaldimension CD2 is smaller than the critical dimension CD3. For example,the compensation regions are distributed randomly in the second regions.

Another aspect of the invention provides a patterned layer. Thepatterned layer includes a plurality of pixel electrodes arranged inarray. Each of the pixel electrodes includes a plurality of strippatterns arranged in different extension directions. The patterned layerhas a plurality of first regions and a plurality of second regions, inwhich a line width/spacing ratio of the pixel electrodes in the firstregions is L1/S1, the second regions include a plurality of compensationregions distributed, a line width/spacing ratio of the pixel electrodesdistributed in the compensation regions is L2/S2, a line width/spacingratio of the pixel electrodes distributed inside the second region andoutside of the compensation regions is L3/S3, and the line width/spacingratio L2/S2 is smaller than the line width/spacing ratio L3/S3. Forexample, the compensation regions are distributed randomly in the secondregions.

In summary, a pattern having a small pitch may be formed by the exposureapparatus according to an embodiment of the invention. Moreover, sincethe shielding patterns of the mask are designed in accordance with thelens group, a variation in optical characteristics between the lensconnecting regions and the lens regions of the lens group may beminimized.

In order to make the aforementioned and other features and advantages ofthe invention more comprehensible, embodiments accompanying figures aredescribed in detail below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings are included to provide a furtherunderstanding of the invention, and are incorporated in and constitute apart of this specification. The drawings illustrate embodiments of theinvention and, together with the description, serve to explain theprinciples of the invention.

FIG. 1A is a schematic view of an exposure apparatus in accordance withan embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 1B is a schematic top view of a mask depicted in FIG. 1A.

FIGS. 2A-2C are schematic cross-sectional views illustrating a method offorming a patterned layer in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of an active device array substrate inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic top view of a patterned layer in accordance withan embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1A is a schematic view of an exposure apparatus in accordance withan embodiment of the invention, and FIG. 1B is a schematic top view of amask depicted in FIG. 1A. Referring to FIG. 1A, according to the presentembodiment of the invention, an exposure apparatus 100 is adapted forexposing a photoresist layer 210 on a layer 200 to form a plurality ofstrip exposed patterns 212 on the photoresist layer 210. The exposureapparatus 100 includes a light source 110, a lens group 120, and a mask130. The light source 110 may be a Krpton Fluoride (KrF) laser, an ArgonFluoride (ArF) laser, a Fluoride (F) laser, or any other suitableexposure light sources known in the art. The lens group 120 is disposedbetween the photoresist layer 210 and the light source 110. The lensgroup 120 includes a plurality of strip lenses 122 arranged parallel toeach other, and an overlapping region between any two neighboring striplenses 122 is defined as a lens connecting region 124. The other regionsexcluding the lens connecting regions 124 are defined as a plurality oflens regions 126. In other words, the lens group 120 includes theplurality of alternately arranged lens connecting regions 124 and thelens regions 126. The optical characteristics of the lens connectingregions 124 are typically inferior to the optical characteristics of thelens regions 126. For example, a transmittance of the lens connectingregions 124 may be lower than a transmittance of the lens regions 126.

Referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B, the mask 130 is disposed between thephotoresist layer 210 and the lens group 120, and the mask 130 has aplurality of shielding patterns 134 a, 134 b, and 134 c. An outline ofthe shielding patterns 134 a, 134 b, and 134 c corresponds to the stripexposed patterns 212, and each of the shielding patterns 134 a, 134 b,and 134 c respectively has a strip opening 136 a, 136 b, and 136 c.Moreover, an extension direction of the strip openings 136 a, 136 b, and136 c is substantially parallel to an extension direction of theshielding patterns 134 a, 134 b, and 134 c. In the present embodiment,the outline of the shielding patterns 134 a, 134 b, and 134 c isstrip-shaped, for example, and the extension direction of the shieldingpatterns 134 a, 134 b, and 134 c may be the same or different. A linewidth of the shielding patterns 134 a, 134 b, and 134 c is L, a spacingbetween any two neighboring shielding patterns 134 a, 134 b, and 134 cis S, and a sum of the line width L and the spacing S (e.g., a pitch P)is about 6 μm, for example. In an embodiment of the invention, forexample, the line width L is about 4 μm and the spacing S is about 2 μm.In another embodiment of the invention, the line width L may be about3.5 μm, whereas the spacing S may be about 2.5 μm.

Referring to FIG. 1B, in the present embodiment, the mask 130 has aplurality of first exposure regions 132 a and a plurality of secondexposure regions 132 b, for example, and the first exposure regions 132a and the second exposure regions 132 b are alternately arranged. Eachof the first exposure regions 132 a respectively corresponds to one ofthe lens connecting regions 124, for example, and each of the secondexposure regions 132 b respectively corresponds to one of the lensregions 126. It should be noted that, “corresponding” herein means thata light emitted by the light source 110 irradiates towards the firstexposure regions 132 a after passing through the lens connecting regions124, and the light emitted by the light source 110 irradiates towardsthe second exposure regions 132 b after passing through the lens regions126. The shielding patterns 134 a and 134 b disposed in the firstexposure regions 132 a include a plurality of first shielding patterns134 a and a plurality of second shielding patterns 134 b, for example.Each of the first shielding patterns 134 a respectively has a firststrip opening 136 a, and each of the second shielding patterns 134 brespectively has a second strip opening 136 b. A width of each of thefirst strip openings is SB1, a width of each of the second stripopenings is SB2, and the width SB1 is smaller than the width SB2. In thepresent embodiment, the second shielding patterns 134 b are distributedrandomly on average in the first exposure regions 132 a. Alternatively,the randomly distributed second shielding patterns 134 b in the firstexposure regions 132 a may have a decreasing distribution density from acenter towards the two sides, similar to a Gaussian distribution, forexample. The distribution density of the second shielding patterns 134 bin a central area of the first exposure regions 132 a may be about 30%,for example, and the distribution densities from the center to the twosides may be about 20% and 10%, respectively. However, the invention isnot limited thereto, the distribution of the second shielding patterns134 b may be varied according to user and design demands.

In the present embodiment, in the second exposure regions 132 b, a widthof the strip opening 136 c of each of the shielding patterns 134 c isSB, and the width SB is substantially equal to the width SB1. Moreover,the widths SB1, SB2, and SB of the strip openings 136 a, 136 b, 136 care a finest resolution of the exposure apparatus 100, for example,pattern of the strip openings 136 a, 136 b, and 136 c are nottransferred on the photoresist layer 210 during an exposure processaccordingly. In the present embodiment, the width SB1 is about 1.0 μm,the width SB2 is about 1.1 μm, and the width SB is about 1.0 μm, forexample. In the first exposure regions 132 a, the width SB1 of the stripopening 136 a is substantially equal to the width SB of the stripopening 136 c in the second exposure regions 132 b, for example.Additionally, the width SB2 of the strip opening 136 b is larger thanthe width SB of the strip opening 136 c in the second exposure regions132 b, for example. Therefore, under the same light source intensity,when compared with the strip openings 136 a and 136 c, the strip opening136 b may allow more light to pass through. Accordingly, a widthdifference of the strip openings 136 a, 136 b and 136 c of the shieldingpatterns 134 a, 134 b, and 134 c may compensate for a variation inoptical characteristics for different regions of the lens group 120.

Typically, current exposure apparatus can achieve a sum of line width Land spacing S (e.g., a pitch P) of about 8 μm. On the other hand, bydesigning the strip openings 136 a, 136 b, and 136 c in the shieldingpatterns 134 a, 134 b, and 134 c of the mask 130, the exposure apparatus100 according to the present embodiment of the invention may surpass acurrent fabrication limit, and thereby obtain a pattern having asubstantially small pitch P. Moreover, since the shielding patterns 134a, 134 b, and 134 c of the mask 130 described in the present embodimentare designed in accordance with the lens connecting regions 124 and lensregions 126 of the lens group 120, the difference in opticalcharacteristics between the lens connecting regions 124 and the lensregions 126 may be minimized.

A method of forming a patterned layer by using the exposure apparatus100 depicted in FIG. 1 is described hereafter. FIGS. 2A-2C are schematiccross-sectional views illustrating a method of forming a patterned layerin accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 2A,a photoresist layer 210 is formed on a layer 200. In the presentembodiment, the layer 200 is formed on a material layer 195, forexample. Moreover, a material of the layer 200 includes indium tin oxide(ITO), indium zinc oxide (IZO), or other suitable transparent conductivematerials for fabricating pixel electrodes, for example. The photoresistlayer 210 is a positive photoresist, and a forming method thereofincludes a spin coating method, for example. The layer 200 with thephotoresist layer 210 formed thereon is then disposed in the exposureapparatus 100 depicted in FIG. 1, for performing an exposure process Eon the photoresist layer 210.

Referring to FIG. 2B, a development process D is then performed on thephotoresist layer 210, so as to form a patterned photoresist layer 210 aon the layer 200. The patterned photoresist layer 210 a includes aplurality of strip exposed patterns 212. In the mask 130 of the exposureapparatus according to present embodiment, a line width of the shieldingpatterns 134 a, 134 b, and 134 c is L, a spacing between any twoneighboring shielding patterns 134 a, 134 b, and 134 c is S, and a sumof the line width L and the spacing S (e.g., a pitch P) is about 6 μm,for example. Therefore, the strip exposed patterns 212 of the patternedphotoresist layer 210 a has a line width L and a spacing S, for example,and a sum of the line width L and the spacing S (e.g., a pitch P) isabout 6 μm, for example. Moreover, it should be noted that, althoughstrip openings 136 a, 136 b, and 136 c are designed in the shieldingpatterns 134 a, 134 b, and 134 c of the mask 130, since the widths SB1,SB2, and SB of the strip openings 136 a, 136 b, and 136 c are smallerthan the finest resolution of the exposure apparatus 100, for example,the pattern of the strip openings 136 a, 136 b, and 136 c are nottransferred on the patterned photoresist layer 210 a during the exposureprocess.

Thereafter, referring to FIG. 2C, by using the patterned photoresistlayer 210 a as a mask, the layer 200 is patterned to form a patternedlayer 300. In the present embodiment of the invention, a method ofpatterning the layer 200 includes a dry etching process or a wet etchingprocess, for example. Moreover, according to a design and userrequirement for the shielding patterns 134 a, 134 b, and 134 c of themask 130, the patterned layer 300 may be form to constitute a pluralityof devices. To facilitate description in the disclosure hereafter, thepatterned layer 300 is disposed in a device layer of an active devicearray substrate.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of an active device array substrate inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 3, inthe present embodiment, an active device array substrate 400 includes asubstrate 401 and a patterned layer 300 formed on the substrate 401. Theactive device array substrate 400 has a plurality of first regions 402and a plurality of second regions 404. A critical dimension of thepatterned layer 300 in the first regions 402 is CD1, and the secondregions 404 include a plurality of compensation regions 406 distributedtherein. For instance, the compensation regions 406 are distributedrandomly in the second regions 404 randomly. A critical dimension of thepatterned layer 300 distributed in the compensation regions 406 is CD2,and a critical dimension of the patterned layer 300 distributed insidethe second region and outside of the compensation regions 406 is CD3.Moreover, the critical dimension CD2 is smaller than the criticaldimension CD3.

In the present embodiment, the patterned layer 300 depicted in FIG. 3 isformed by the exposure apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1A, for example. Thefirst regions 402 and the second regions 404 of the active device arraysubstrate 400 respectively correspond to the second exposure regions 132b and the first exposure regions 132 a of the mask 130, whereas thecompensation regions 406 correspond to the first exposure regions 132 adistributed by the second shielding patterns 134 b. Additionally, thepatterned layer 300 in the first regions 402 having the criticaldimension CD1 corresponds to the shielding patterns 134 c of the secondexposure regions 132 b. The patterned layer 300 in the compensationregions 406 having the critical dimension CD2 corresponds to the secondshielding patterns 134 b of the first exposure regions 132 a. Thepatterned layer 300 distributed inside the second region and outside ofthe compensation regions 406 having the critical dimension CD3corresponds to the first shielding patterns 134 a of the first exposureregions 132 a. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the compensationregions 406 are distributed in the second regions 404. For example, thecompensation regions 406 are distributed randomly in the second regions404. However, in another embodiment of the invention, although thecompensation regions 406 may still be randomly distributed in the secondregions 404, a ratio of an area occupied by the compensation regions 406may be decreasing from a center to the two sides, similar to a Gaussiandistribution, for example. A distribution density of the compensationregions 406 in a central area of the second regions 404 is about 30%,for example, and the distribution density from the center to the twosides are about 20% and 10%, respectively. However, the invention is notlimited thereto, the distribution of the compensation regions 406 may bevaried according to user and design demands. It should be mentionedthat, since in theory the critical dimension CD1 is smaller than thecritical dimension CD3, an embodiment of the invention correspondinglydesigns a pattern having a small critical dimension CD2 (e.g., smallerthan the critical dimension CD1) in order to perform compensation.However, since the critical dimension CD1 of each of the regions in theactive device array substrate may be varied, the critical dimension CD1may be substantially equal to the critical dimension CD3. Moreover, thecritical dimensions CD1 and CD3 are about 4.5 μm or about 3.5 μm, forexample.

In the active device array substrate 400 according to the presentembodiment, the patterned layer 300 in the first regions 402 has thecritical dimension CD1, and the patterned layer 300 in the secondregions 404 has the critical dimensions CD2 and CD3. When the activedevice array substrate 400 is applied in a display panel such as aPSA-LCD panel, and the patterned layer 300 includes a plurality of pixelelectrodes arranged in array, strip patterns of pixel electrodes indifferent regions may have different critical dimensions. Accordingly,by combining the use of strip patterns having different criticaldimensions CD2 and CD3, an overall brightness of a display imagecorresponding to the second regions 404 substantially approaches anoverall brightness of a display image corresponding to the first regions402. Therefore, the active device array substrate 400 according to thepresent embodiment may mitigate an issue of “lens mura”, therebyenhancing a display quality of the panel.

FIG. 4 is a schematic top view of a patterned layer in accordance withan embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 4, in the presentembodiment, the patterned layer 300 includes a plurality of pixelelectrodes 310 a, 310 b, and 310 c arranged in array, and each of thepixel electrodes 310 a, 310 b, and 310 c includes a plurality of strippatterns 312 arranged in different extension directions. In the presentembodiment, the pixel electrodes 310 a, 310 b, and 310 c are polymerstabilized alignment pixel electrodes, for example, and each of thepixel electrodes 310 a, 310 b, and 310 c is divided into four alignmentregions, for example. It should be noted that, although FIG. 4exemplifies an embodiment by disposing three columns of pixel electrodes310 b and 310 c and the compensation regions 306 in the center of thesecond regions 304, this is done merely for clarity of illustration andnot for limiting the invention. In other words, the invention does notplace a restriction on conditions such as the number of pixel electrodes310 a, 310 b, and 310 c, the arrangement and the extension direction ofthe strip patterns 312 of the pixel electrodes 310 a, 310 b, and 310 c,and the distribution of the compensation regions 306 in the secondregions 304. Therefore, a user may design according to actualcircumstances and demands.

As shown in FIG. 4, the patterned layer 300 has a plurality of firstregions 302 and a plurality of second regions 304. The first regions 302and the second regions 304 are alternately arranged, for example.

A line width/spacing ratio of the pixel electrodes 310 a in the firstregions 302 is L1/S1. The second regions 304 include a plurality ofdistributed compensation regions 306. For example, the compensationregions 306 are distributed randomly in the second regions 404 randomly.A line width/spacing ratio of the pixel electrodes 310 b distributed inthe compensation regions 306 is L2/S2, and a line width/spacing ratio ofthe pixel electrodes 310 c distributed inside the second region 304 andoutside of the compensation regions 306 is L3/S3. Moreover, the linewidth/spacing ratio L2/S2 is smaller than the line width/spacing ratioL3/S3. The line width/spacing ratio L1/S1 of the pixel electrodes 310 ais equal to the line width/spacing ratio L3/S3 of the pixel electrodes310 c. In the present embodiment, a range of the line width/spacingratio L1/S1 is about 1.4-3, a range of the line width/spacing ratioL2/S2 is about 0.7-1.3, and a range of the line width/spacing ratioL3/S3 is about 1.4-3. In addition, the line widths L1 and L3 are about4.5 μm, and the spacings S1 and S3 are about 1.5 μm, for example. Inanother embodiment of the invention, the line widths L1 and L3 are about3.5 μm, and the spacings S1 and S3 are about 2.5 μm, for example.However, the invention is not limited thereto, the compensation regions306 may be randomly distributed in the second regions 304 or distributedaccording to user and design demands. According to an embodiment of theinvention, a ratio of an area occupied by the compensation regions 306may be decreasing from a center to the two sides, similar to a Gaussiandistribution, for example. A distribution density of the compensationregions 306 in a central area of the second regions 304 is about 30%,for example, and the distribution density from the center to the twosides are about 20% and 10%, respectively, although the invention is notlimited thereto.

It should be noted that, in the present embodiment, the patterned layer300 depicted in FIG. 4 is formed by the exposure apparatus 100 shown inFIG. 1A, for example. The first regions 302 and the second regions 304of the patterned layer 300 respectively correspond to the secondexposure regions 132 b and the first exposure regions 132 a of the mask130, whereas the compensation regions 306 correspond to the firstexposure regions 132 a distributed by the second shielding patterns 134b. The strip patterns 312 of the pixel electrodes 310 a correspond tothe shielding patterns 134 c, and the strip patterns 312 of the pixelelectrodes 310 c and the pixel electrodes 310 b respectively correspondto the first shielding patterns 134 a and the second shielding patterns134 b. In other words, the first regions 302 correspond to the lensregions 126, and the second regions 304 correspond to the lensconnecting regions 124.

In the present embodiment, the pixel electrodes 310 a, 310 b, and 310 cformed by the exposure apparatus 100 depicted in FIG. 1 have small linewidths L1, L2, and L3 as well as small spacings S1, S2, and S3.Therefore, the liquid crystal efficiency is enhanced, and thereby thedisplay image has a high brightness. Moreover, according to the presentembodiment, the pixel electrodes 310 a having the line width/spacingratio L1/S1 are disposed in the first regions 302 of the patterned layer300, and the pixel electrodes 310 b and 310 c having different linewidth/spacing ratios L2/S2 and L3/S3 are disposed in the second regions304. Accordingly, by combining the use of the pixel electrodes 310 b andthe pixel electrodes 310 c, an overall brightness of a display imagecorresponding to the second regions 304 substantially approaches anoverall brightness of a display image corresponding to the first regions302 where the pixel electrodes 310 a are disposed. Therefore, an issueof “lens mura” is mitigated, thereby enhancing a display quality of thepanel.

In light of the foregoing, in the exposure apparatus according to anembodiment of the invention, the shielding patterns of the mask havestrip openings such that a pattern having a small pitch may be formed bythe exposure apparatus. Moreover, since the shielding patterns of themask correspond to the design of the lens group, the variation inoptical characteristics between the lens connecting regions and the lensregions of the lens group may be minimized. Consequently, when thepatterned layer formed by the exposure apparatus according to anembodiment is applied in formation of pixel electrodes, the liquidcrystal efficiency is enhanced and “lens mura” can be improved.

Furthermore, in practice, the light source and the exposure conditionsused by the exposure apparatus according to an embodiment of theinvention are substantially the same with those known conventionally.Therefore, according to actual demands, masks having different shieldingpatterns may be designed, and thus fabrication costs are not drasticallyincreased. Moreover, by using the method of forming the patterned layeraccording to an embodiment of the invention to fabricate the pixelelectrodes of the active device array substrate, a yield rate of thedisplay panel is significantly enhanced. In addition, cost increase dueto the “lens mura” may be prevented.

Although the invention has been described with reference to the aboveembodiments, it will be apparent to one of the ordinary skill in the artthat modifications to the described embodiment may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the scope ofthe invention will be defined by the attached claims not by the abovedetailed descriptions.

1. An exposure apparatus adapted for exposing a photoresist layer on alayer to form a plurality of strip exposed patterns on the layer, theexposure apparatus comprising: a light source; a lens group disposedbetween the photoresist layer and the light source, the lens groupcomprising a plurality of strip lenses arranged parallel to each other,wherein an overlapping region between any two neighboring strip lensesis defined as a lens connecting region, and the other regions excludingthe lens connecting regions are defined as a plurality of lens regions;and a mask disposed between the photoresist layer and the lens group,wherein the mask has a plurality of shielding patterns, an outline ofthe shielding patterns corresponds to the strip exposed patterns, eachof the shielding patterns respectively has a strip opening, and anextension direction of the strip openings is substantially parallel toan extension direction of the shielding patterns.
 2. The exposureapparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a line width of each of theshielding patterns is L, a spacing between any two neighboring shieldingpatterns is S, and a sum of the line width L and the spacing S is about6 μm.
 3. The exposure apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the linewidth L is about 4 μm, and the spacing S is about 2 μm.
 4. The exposureapparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the line width L is about 3.5μm, and the spacing S is about 2.5 μm.
 5. The exposure apparatus asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the mask has a plurality of first exposureregions and a plurality of second exposure regions, the first exposureregions and the second exposure regions are alternately arranged, eachof the first exposure regions respectively corresponds to one of thelens connecting regions, and each of the second exposure regionsrespectively corresponds to one of the lens regions.
 6. The exposureapparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the shielding patterns disposedin the first exposure regions comprise: a plurality of first shieldingpatterns each respectively having a first strip opening; and a pluralityof second shielding patterns each respectively having a second stripopening, wherein a width of each of the first strip openings is SB1, anda width of each of the second strip openings is SB2, and the width SB1is smaller than the width SB2.
 7. The exposure apparatus as claimed inclaim 6, wherein in the second exposure regions, a width of the stripopening of each of the shielding patterns is SB, and the width SB issubstantially equal to the width SB1.
 8. The exposure apparatus asclaimed in claim 6, wherein the width SB1 is about 1.0 μm, and the widthSB2 is about 1.1 μm.
 9. The exposure apparatus as claimed in claim 6,wherein the second shielding patterns are randomly distributed in thefirst exposure regions.
 10. The exposure apparatus as claimed in claim6, wherein a distribution density of the second shielding patterns inthe first exposure regions decreases from a center to the two sides. 11.A method of forming a patterned layer, comprising: forming a photoresistlayer on a layer; disposing the layer with the photoresist layer formedthereon in the exposure apparatus as claimed in claim 1, for performingan exposure process on the photoresist layer; performing a developmentprocess on the photoresist layer, so as to form a patterned photoresistlayer on the layer; and patterning the layer by using the patternedphotoresist layer as a mask.
 12. A method of forming a photoresistpatterned layer, comprising: disposing a photoresist layer in theexposure apparatus as claimed in claim 1, for performing an exposureprocess on the photoresist layer; and performing a development processon the photoresist layer, so as to form the patterned photoresist layeron the layer.
 13. An active device array substrate having a plurality offirst regions and a plurality of second regions, wherein a criticaldimension of a patterned layer in the first regions is CD1, the secondregions comprise a plurality of compensation regions distributed, acritical dimension of the patterned layer distributed in thecompensation regions is CD2, a critical dimension of the patterned layerdistributed inside the second region and outside of the compensationregions is CD3, and the critical dimension CD2 is smaller than thecritical dimension CD3.
 14. The active device array substrate as claimedin claim 13, wherein the compensation regions are distributed randomlyin the second regions.
 15. The active device array substrate as claimedin claim 13, wherein in the second regions, a ratio of an area occupiedby the compensation regions decreases from a center to the two sides.16. The active device array substrate as claimed in claim 13, whereinthe critical dimension CD1 is substantially equal to the criticaldimension CD3.
 17. The active device array substrate as claimed in claim13, wherein the critical dimension CD1 is substantially smaller than thecritical dimension CD3.
 18. A patterned layer comprising a plurality ofpixel electrodes arranged in array, each of the pixel electrodescomprising a plurality of strip patterns arranged in different extensiondirections, the patterned layer having a plurality of first regions anda plurality of second regions, wherein a line width/spacing ratio of thepixel electrodes in the first regions is L1/S1, the second regionscomprise a plurality of compensation regions distributed, a linewidth/spacing ratio of the pixel electrodes distributed in thecompensation regions is L2/S2, a line width/spacing ratio of the pixelelectrodes distributed inside the second region and outside of thecompensation regions is L3/S3, and the line width/spacing ratio L2/S2 issmaller than the line width/spacing ratio L3/S3.
 19. The patterned layeras claimed in claim 18, wherein the pixel electrodes are polymerstabilized alignment pixel electrodes.
 20. The patterned layer asclaimed in claim 18, wherein a range of the line width/spacing ratioL1/S1 is about 1.4-3.
 21. The patterned layer as claimed in claim 18,wherein a range of the line width/spacing ratio L2/S2 is about 0.7-1.3.22. The patterned layer as claimed in claim 18, wherein a range of theline width/spacing ratio L3/S3 is about 1.4-3.
 23. The patterned layeras claimed in claim 18, wherein the compensation regions are distributedrandomly in the second regions.